http://tc.eserver.org/publisher/SDL_International A listing of works published by SDL International in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/SDL_International http://tc.eserver.org/18495.html http://tc.eserver.org/18495.html The process of localizing C/C++ Windows applications has evolved considerably over its relatively short life span. Due to the demands of fierce global markets, the localization industry has progressed from rather painful methods of localizing bulky and inconvenient source files to using highly sophisticated tools that allow for a quicker and considerably more efficient process of directly localizing binary files. Taking advantage of these localization tools and switching to a binary strategy has proven to provide many benefits that streamline and expedite the process of localization. The classic approach to localization involved translating hundreds of resource (RC) files and resizing dialogs using tools such as Microsoft Developer Studio. As newer builds of the same products started being released more frequently and translators' work became more repetitive, localizers started to take advantage of various translation database tools to help save translation time. While database tools with RC filters streamlined part of the translation process and allowed translators to begin their efforts sooner, it was still fairly tedious, time consuming, and error prone to resize graphical user interface elements separately for each build. Localizers therefore started to combine aspects of translation database technology and visual editing into tools focused exclusively on software localization. Currently, the localization industry is taking its next evolutionary step; leaving behind a tiresome and time consuming RC-based process for the quicker and cleaner process of directly localizing precompiled binary modules. Today's advanced localization tools promise to provide integrated localization solutions that allow translators and engineers to work directly with binaries saving enormous amounts of time and effort. http://tc.eserver.org/18491.html http://tc.eserver.org/18491.html We've all heard a lot about Computer Aided Translation (CAT) tools over the last few years. We've also heard some of the war stories as well. But let's take a look from a different angle ' from the perspective of today's middle-market translation and localization service companies (TCs for short). We CAT tool providers spend a lot of time talking about the benefits to the translator, perhaps at the risk of missing some of those that are particularly important to a TC. Re-using previously translated materials (or leveraging as we like to call it) can be a very important factor in reducing the cost and increasing the consistency of translation. But it turns out that there are a number of other features in today's tools that are particularly helpful for TCs. I'm going to describe them in terms of two of the tools we are involved with, although others have some of these features as well. http://tc.eserver.org/18499.html http://tc.eserver.org/18499.html The concept of the Unicode character set began in 1987, thanks to Joe Becker from Xerox and Mark Davis from Apple. The following year, Becker, Davis, and Lee Collins (currently of Xerox; formerly of Apple) began investigating the design and soon made the case for Han unification to ANSI, ISO. Unicode is, indeed, based on the historic evolution of the Chinese character set (Han). Several people from various high tech companies began holding bimonthly meetings in 1989. By the end of 1990 , an initial, full-review draft was created. In 1991, the group became the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit organization incorporated as Unicode, Inc. Version 1.0 became available to the public for the first time in 1992. http://tc.eserver.org/18497.html http://tc.eserver.org/18497.html That information technology has revolutionized the translator's working environment is a fact so obvious that it no longer even bears mentioning. For the vast majority of translators and their clients, computers have long since replaced typewriters and reams of paper. Modems and e-mail have replaced manila envelopes, mass storage devices have replaced drawers full of folders, CD-ROMs supplement dictionaries and encyclopedias, and more recently the Internet and its resources more and more often save us a trip to the library, while various online communities have brought many translators out of their isolation. But information technology not only offers us tools. It is itself a field in which more and more translation work is actually executed. As in other fields, this is certainly true of marketing materials, packaging materials, advertising copy, and manuals. But in the case of information technology products, it is frequently the products themselves that need to be translated. Whenever a program or process displays a word or a phrase on the screen, this means potential work for one or many translators. http://tc.eserver.org/18492.html http://tc.eserver.org/18492.html This article lays out a framework for selecting the right Computer Aided Translation (CAT) tool solution based on a number of characteristics of the translation environment. http://tc.eserver.org/18496.html http://tc.eserver.org/18496.html In June of 1997, a small group of individuals representing the major buyers and providers of translation tools and services began a process that will have dramatic benefits for the users of translation tools. With the momentum of Microsoft behind it, that group began defining a standard for exchanging translation memory data between translation tools. This definition has been recently published by the Localization Industry Standards Association (LISA) as the Translation Memory eXchange (TMX) standard. Defined as a Document Type Definition (DTD) in SGML, this standard defines vendor-neutral conventions for storing translation memories in a manner that allows them to be uniformly exchanged between any tool of any vendor adhering to the standard. So how will TMX affect the translation tool market and what does it mean to current and future users of translation tools? http://tc.eserver.org/18502.html http://tc.eserver.org/18502.html The formatting work that's done after translation typically represents 30-40% of the overall cost of a localization project. Some ways to reduce that cost involve choosing an appropriate page layout application. One application can require as much as five times the labor required to do the same type of formatting as in another application. By choosing the right application, you can conceivably save hundreds of hours and costs over your set of target languages. http://tc.eserver.org/18490.html http://tc.eserver.org/18490.html Computer Aided Translation (CAT) is the broadest term used to describe an area of computer technology applications that automates or assists the act of translating text from one spoken language to another. Today CAT tool technology is being used by both business users and professional translators. Business users conducting business internationally are now finding benefit in tools when communicating across languages when a translator is not available and the user has limited multilingual skills. Professional translators are finding CAT tools highly effective in improving their translation productivity and quality for work that lends itself to the use of the different technologies. http://tc.eserver.org/18500.html http://tc.eserver.org/18500.html While localization often involves common challenges across all languages and international markets, localizing into Asian markets can be particularly challenging for a number of reasons. The most obvious challenge for many of us is understanding the language itself. Multi-byte character sets and different levels of formality tend to make these projects a bit more complex. They often require more time, slower translation time, and more thorough review and quality assurance. http://tc.eserver.org/18501.html http://tc.eserver.org/18501.html Multimedia localization is a slow process. It's complicated and, technically, very challenging. It can also be very costly. Based upon the size of the applet, it costs five times as much as routine localization. It is also subject to mavericks, which means no two companies do the same thing; and no two developers in the same company do the same thing. That means every time you take the puzzle apart, it's a brand new task. A company which produced numerous products and had them developed by third-party developers or different teams within its own company, creates a different puzzle each time for you to take apart. http://tc.eserver.org/18498.html http://tc.eserver.org/18498.html Atsushi's presentation focused on two areas of Windows software localization: the internationalization of source code, and the actual localization of the user interface. http://tc.eserver.org/18493.html http://tc.eserver.org/18493.html If your company is new to the process of translating their documentation, chances are little groundwork was laid for the process. One thing you can do to improve the quality of the translation in this situation is to create a good translation glossary. A translation glossary ensures consistent terminology in the translation; that a term in English always becomes the same term in the translated text. It eliminates the problem of referring to the same concept or same component by different names in different places in the documentation. Technical writers are in a good position to create the glossary. They constantly deal with questions of terminology. They probably wrote the manual being translated and already had to make decisions about terminology for the English version. http://tc.eserver.org/18494.html http://tc.eserver.org/18494.html The function of OCR Software is to improve the scanning process with the transfer of hard copy documents into workable electronic text. Despite some high quality OCR software packages now available, the scanning process is still not perfect. This imperfection can greatly diminish from the performance of your CAT tool if it is not properly addressed. When combining these two processes (scanning and translation via CAT tools), it is important that you know which OCR software package to use and exactly how to use it most effectively. In fact, if you do not have the proper OCR software, or if you are using your OCR software incorrectly, you may actually negate the potential benefits that your translation software can offer.